Patriots rooting guide: Who New England fans should be rooting for on Super Wild Card Saturday

The New England Patriots will no participate in this year’s NFL playoffs, but we will nonetheless keep a close eye on the tournament.

The action starts on Saturday, with two games — one in each conference — on the menu. And even with the Patriots already watching from home, we are here to help you find a team to root for.

With that said, welcome to our first playoff Patriots Rooting Guide of 2023. Check out the odds for this weekend’s games courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

4:30 p.m. ET

(7) Seattle Seahawks at (2) San Francisco 49ers: Go Niners! Not only would a San Francisco win in this game add to one of the more unusual quarterback stories in recent memory — Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy leading his team to the No. 2 seed in the conference — it also would have some indirect impact on the Patriots. The 49ers’ first-round pick in 2023, after all, resides in the AFC: Denver acquired it through Miami. The better San Francisco this year, he worse that pick (and presumably player) for an upcoming New England opponent. | FOX, fuboTV

8:15 p.m. ET

(5) Los Angeles Chargers at (4) Jacksonville Jaguars: Go Chargers! There really is no real reason to root for one team over the other here. But root we must, and so we go with L.A. based on three factors: 1.) Pushing down the draft capital for a 2023 New England opponent; 2.) The Chargers seemingly having a better chance of surviving the AFC; 3.) Having a slightly higher number of ex-Patriots on the roster. | NBC, fuboTV

Make sure to head down to the comment section to discuss today’s games.